


Caretakers

by Nalyd



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fantasy, Gen, Outer Space, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:08:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29070075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nalyd/pseuds/Nalyd
Summary: The House of Silja has lived in isolation in their manor for a long time. Its last members live their day-to-day life in peace under the leadership of Lady Eerika Silja, until an unexpected visitor somehow finds a way into the castle... and threatens to disrupt the Siljans' peaceful existence.





	Caretakers

Lady Eerika Silja woke up before everyone else, as usual. She stretched her arms and legs for a long, pleasant moment, then lay still on her royal bed, wrapped up in her warm sheets, listening with her eyes closed. When she felt awake enough, she opened them and looked around. Her huge bed sat at the far end of her chamber. The room was fairly empty. Aside from a large chest that held most of her belongings, her polished armor and sword were the only other thing taking up space, lovingly displayed on a square marble platform, in memory of struggles past. In addition, four marvelous tapestries covered the stone walls, praising the deeds of Eerika’s predecessors in beautiful colors.  
She wiggled out of bed and dragged herself to the chest, shaking her head. As much as she loved the tapestries, it was useless to linger on them. Things appeared fuzzy and drowned out after just waking up.  
 _By golly, I am not a morning person_ , she yawned, slipping out of her nightgown and into her regal garbs, a long, dark blue vest with large sleeves and triangular white patterns on its chest and back. She placed the gown in the chest and pulled out her ivory comb and silver mirror. As she straightened out her hair, she looked herself over; her pale face was still youthful, despite fast approaching the age of forty-six. Her long, raven hair cascaded onto her shoulders. She swept a few strands away from her face and peered into her reflection’s blue eyes. She tilted her head, studying her sleek cheekbones and pointy nose. Satisfied, she put the two objects back, slipped on her shoes, and left the room.  
Eerika made her way through the old stone halls, barely registering the ornate carpets, tapestries and statues she'd grown up marveling at. She hurried past the hulking, circular door that led to the Vault of Ancients and stepped through the huge entrance to the dining hall.  
It was a relic of times past, when the war had forced the entirety of the Siljans’ fief to take refuge in the outer and inner wards of the castle and the less unlucky of that assemblage required a place to feast and laugh and drink their worries away.  
As always, Eerika marveled at the massive room; it was so long that it fit over a hundred pairs of tables placed in rows, forming a corridor in the middle of the hall all the way down to the end. The walls were curved and joined some sixty feet above the ground, though due to degradation there were several holes in the ceiling.  
Most of the tables were set, despite the small number of people that ate there. They'd eat at a different table every day, take the dishes off that one, and reset the tables once they'd gone all around the hall. It was a little quirk of General Alvar; he insisted it'd help them get a better feeling of the passage of time, and no significant objections had been raised.  
Eerika marched down the hall and found Toini sitting at the designated table of the day, scarfing down impressive amounts of roasted chicken and cabbage. The thirty-one year-old was of average height and somewhat plump. Light brown hair curled onto her neck, cheeks, and white shirt, framing a round face with a dash of freckles and a warm smile.  
Toini glanced up when she sensed her approach, her brown eyes taking in Eerika’s appearance, then stood up and threw herself into an embarrassed bow.  
“G’d m’rning mh l’dy", she managed to say through her food.  
“Rise, my good Toini. And swallow that food before you choke,” Eerika told her sweetly, sitting down.  
She obliged, then picked up Eerika’s plate. “What may I get for you, my Lady?”  
“How about a nice, hot plate of… your choice?” she asked, her stomach growling.  
Toini flashed a smile before prancing away.  
Eerika watched as she pranced out the back entrance, plate in hand. Her light-hearted skip made her brown skirt flutter about, giving her gait somewhat of an ethereal flow.  
Eerika’s vision faltered for an instant. Grimacing, she closed her eyes and massaged her temples. She had slept in more than usual, but apparently that didn't do much for her.  
Toini returned, bearing a plate full of boiled potatoes, broccoli, carrots, peas, and tomatoes. She gently set it in front of her, the steam coming off the succulent, vibrantly colored food and sat, watching Eerika eat with curious eyes.  
Lady Silja gracefully wiped the plate clean and sat back with her eyes closed, taking a moment to digest. She felt better already.  
“I hope the meal was to your liking, Your Highness,” Toini chimed.  
Eerika looked at Toini, pensive. She was lucky to have someone as thoughtful and subservient as her. Without Toini’s comforting presence, she probably would have gone crazy a long time ago.  
“Ah, here they are!” a deep voice boomed behind them.  
They turned to see three men entering the hall. Eerika examined the trio as they approached the table, despite knowing full well that they would appear the same way as always.  
Edvard was in front of the others, his long legs giving him a significant advantage in speed. He stood over six feet tall and packed more muscles than anyone else in the room, barely concealed by his gray robes. His prominent chin and cheekbones only emphasized his ever-present smile. His profession, as anyone would have guessed, was that of a scholar and architect.  
Reko strode a few feet to his back, trying not to appear rushed yet not wanting to fall behind. The jester wore his black trousers and long-sleeved tunic, which paired well with his black, wavy hair that partially covered his blue eyes. There was a practiced elegance in his movements, which complemented his austere, silent personality.  
Just behind him was Alvar, content with bringing up the rear. He was in his late sixties, but one would have judged him a lot younger; not because of his physical appearance, which was indeed that of an old, weathered soldier, but rather because of the silent energy in his movements. The general also wore a full beard and strode around in practical leather clothes.  
The three reached the table and bowed. Eerika signaled them to sit.  
“I trust you slept well, milady?” Alvar asked, plopping down on the bench.  
“Quite, general. And yourself?”  
“Marvelously. I see you've already eaten. We're sorry to have kept you waiting.”  
She waved her hand in dismissal: “Not to worry, Toini and I were keeping each other company.”  
“Speaking of,” Reko said, looking at the girl, “how about something to eat?”  
Toini inclined her head. “What may I fetch you gentlemen?”  
The newcomers placed their orders and Toini scuttled off into the kitchen, quickly returning with steaming hot vegetables and meat.  
As the men gobbled up their plates, Edvard raised his index. “My Lady, I was reading a very interesting book on the importance of harmonious arrangement in regards to furniture and the sort, perhaps we could move a few things around in the halls?”  
Eerika smiled. “We will gladly discuss this at length with you, but first we must attend Reko’s morning performance.”  
“What have you prepared for us this time?” Alvar asked before attacking a chicken leg.  
Reko licked his lips clean. “A classic,” he smiled. Edvard made a sound of approval as he tossed a few potatoes in his mouth.  
Soon after, they moved into the throne room. It was relatively small, especially if compared to the dining hall, but more than enough for the five of them. The floor had a small curvature to it so that the center of the room was slightly below the rest of it. Opposite the room's only entrance, resting upon a marble dais, stood the intricately carved, wooden throne of the Silja. There were two more chairs, less ornate, each to one side of the dais.  
Reko strode to the middle of the room while the others took their own place; Alvar and Edvard on the two chairs, Eerika on the throne, and Toini sitting on the marble just beside her.  
The jester peered at his audience as they sat, then pulled out a small mirror from his tunic’s inside pocket and slowly brushed his hair to the side, admiring his reflection.  
“This is the story,” he said calmly, “of Soini the fool.”  
Eerika smiled. She knew that story well, of course, as she did almost all of Reko’s tales, but she couldn't help but lose herself in the jester’s storytelling as his voice rose and fell, his arms and fingers moved in an elaborate dance and his expression changed from fear to anger to delight with practiced ease, as if Soini himself were in front of her, stumbling into a room full of mirrors and believing himself to have become the leader of a great army.  
The tale reached its conclusion, in which Soini accidentally killed himself with a shard from one of the mirrors he broke, and Reko bowed. The audience clapped, but Eerika noticed some lack of enthusiasm at her side.  
“Did you not enjoy the story, Toini?”  
The servant offered a tight smile. “Reko’s skills are undeniable, but I feel bad for poor Soini.”  
Reko smirked: “The fool’s fate was of his own making.”  
“I think he was unlucky.”  
“I'm sure you do, but I think that-”  
His thought was interrupted by a thud just outside the room.  
Everyone stared at the entrance, motionless. Silence.  
“Perhaps… a piece of the ceiling fell down?” Edvard offered.  
Another thud, like something heavy colliding with a wall. Then… hurried footsteps.  
Alvar stood and rushed in front of the dais, shielding Eerika with his back.  
“Fear not, Lady Silja!” he bellowed. “Whoever this intruder may be, they will pose no harm to you so far as I can allow it!”  
Edvard and Reko also stood in front of their ruler, nervous and untrained for combat (though Alvar at least had his intimidating stature to count on) but ready to sacrifice their lives. Toini scooted closer to the throne.  
The mysterious invader could be heard getting closer and closer to the entrance. The Siljans waited, frozen.  
They reached the entrance. From the throne, Eerika could make out a small, human figure clad in white.  
“Intruder! Identify yourself, and state your business!” Alvar demanded.  
The intruder stopped in their tracks. Eerika waited, motionless, for them to make a move. Who could possibly have made their way into the fortress? And what did they want?  
Slowly, the white figure advanced towards them. As they entered the room, Eerika held her breath.  
It was a young woman. She appeared to be in her early thirties, but carried herself with a confidence seldom acquired so early. She was clad in fine, white armor, which concealed everything but her neck and head. Her skin was a beautiful shade of black and her tightly curled black hair elegantly framed her sleek facial features, especially her piercing brown eyes.  
“Hello,” she spoke, her voice soft. In the tense silence of the throne room, her voice seemed almost deafening. “I am Adebowale Ekundayo. I come in peace. Are you...?”  
Alvar snorted. “What’s your business?”  
“I-”  
“We are Eerika Silja, ruler of these lands,” the noblewoman replied, rising from her throne.  
The intruder seemed to smile hesitantly. “Pleased to meet you. Can you-”  
“And these are my trusted attendants.”  
She blinked. “Oh.”  
Edvard looked back at her. “My Lady, should we really-”  
“This is Edvard, scholar and architect. He is a very intelligent and eloquent man, yet he knows when to hold his tongue.”  
Edvard bowed.  
“This is general Alvar,” she pointed, “a great warrior, and a kind-hearted man.”  
The old soldier bowed, knowing better than to defy his liege.  
“Reko is my jester and former caregiver.”  
Another wordless bow.  
“And Toini is my cook, cleaner, and healer.”  
Toini smiled at the newcomer.  
“Now, Adebowale,” Eerika asked, plopping down on her throne, “tell us about yourself.”  
“Uh, right. You may call me Ade.”  
Silence followed.  
“And…?” Eerika promoted.  
“I- I come from a distant kingdom, Your Majesty.”  
“Highness.”  
“I’m sorry?”  
“I am neither queen nor empress. ‘Your Highness’ is more appropriate to describe my status.”  
“Of course. I apologize.”  
Eerika waved her hand.  
Adebowale cleared her throat. “I come from the kingdom of Torus, Your Highness. I have been sent to explore the territories surrounding our lands, and establish contact with our... neighbors.”  
“By who?”  
“The leader of Torus is Francesco Gutiérrez. He’s a very capable, intelligent man.”  
Eerika rested her chin on her closed fist, thinking. “Leader, you say… what claim does he have to the throne?”  
“He was- well, he succeeded Queen Adriana, his mother.”  
“How did you find us?”  
Adebowale shrugged. “A fortunate coincidence.”  
Reko snorted. “I don't buy that.”  
“Silence,” Eerika admonished.  
Adebowale gave a weak smile. “I assure you, my intentions are not harmful.”  
Eerika studied her. It had been a long time since she’d dealt with outsiders. How had she found a way into the castle? What if she was dangerous? If she was indeed telling the truth, however, treating her well could present many opportunities.  
“In that case, Lady Ekundayo,” she said, underscoring the title to make sure her subjects understood, “you will remain among us for as long as you deem appropriate. During this time, you are to be treated as a guest of honor.”  
The men glanced back at their ruler with varying degrees of bewilderment.  
“However,” she continued, slightly raising her hand to halt any complaints, “you must agree to a search. We prefer that you do not carry any weapons in Our presence.”  
“Of course, Your Highness.”  
“Toini,” she commanded.  
Toini stood up and trotted over to the explorer. She glanced up and down at her.  
“Lady Ekundayo, please remove your armor.”  
“Oh, my armor, of course. Sorry.”  
Eerika watched as she removed it and set it on the floor, noting her height. Under it, she wore a simple pair of long, blue pants and a lavender undershirt.  
“Amusing,” Reko commented as Toini searched their guest.  
“She doesn’t have anything on her, my Lady.”  
Eerika’s eyebrows rose ever so slightly. “You wander into the unknown unarmed?”  
“No, Your Highness, I have a bag with a few belongings, including a small knife. I... hid it in your halls a little while ago.”  
“Why?”  
“I wanted to explore quickly, and I didn't expect to find anyone.”  
Eerika peered at her guest. Decisions, decisions… how long had it been since the last time she'd had to negotiate anything? She did not miss it. “We will take this bag into custody, if you don’t mind.”  
“I… certainly. Allow me to retrieve it.”  
“We will await for you here,” she said, snuffing out any potential protesting.  
Adebowale bowed and marched out of the room. Toini shuffled back to the dais.  
The Siljans listened carefully as Adebowale’s steps grew fainter, then stopped. A few moments of silence followed, then yet another thud.  
“It's nearby,” Reko whispered as the steps resumed.  
“Perhaps behind one of the tapestries,” Edvard suggested.  
“Shall we make sure she didn’t hide anything else, milady?” Alvar asked.  
“Not right now, my good general.”  
The explorer returned seconds later, burlap bag held over her shoulder. “Thank you for waiting,” she smiled, depositing it in front of the dais.  
“Thank you for complying willingly,” Eerika replied, the veiled threat at what would have happened otherwise not too subtle for the intruder to miss. “But ah, where are our manners? You must be weary after your travels. Would you like to bathe in our hot springs? Toini will accompany you and provide you with a change of clothes.”  
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Adebowale said, picking up her armor, “I gladly accept the offer. But I have clothes of my own. I just need to get them out of my bag.” She rustled through the bag for a change of clothes, then deposited her armor inside it.  
“Toini, if you please,” Eerika asked, prompting her to trot over to Adebowale.  
“Enjoy your rest, Lady Ekundayo. Toini will show you around.”  
“Thank you, Lady Silja,” Adebowale said with a short bow. Toini followed her, and together they left the room.

///

Toini led the woman through the halls. She'd glance back at her every now and then, taking her features in. She wanted to ask her about the outside world, but she refrained; it was not her place to do so. Perhaps she could get her to talk about it some other way.  
They reached the springs soon enough; the hall quickly got smaller and shorter and ended in a natural, stone doorway about a foot taller than Toini. She crossed it and found herself in a huge, well-lit cavern. It was over fifty feet tall at its highest point and ran for about one hundred feet, while the wall opposite the entrance was another forty feet or so. For the almost totality of the one hundred feet in length and over half of the forty feet, a massive pool of hot water resided in the cave. The air around it was steamy, with tiny droplets of water forming on the many dark rocks that stood around and inside the spring.  
Adebowale jogged over to the spring and set her clean clothes on a rock nearby, then kneeled in front of the water. Toini picked up one of the towels that lay next to the entrance and walked over to her. She glimpsed something silver-colored in Adebowale’s hand as she immersed it in the water. She pulled it out a few seconds later, gripping a small metal stick.  
“What's that?” Toini asked as she inspected the rod, which was now tinged with green.  
Adebowale flashed her a giant smile as she tucked the stick back into her pocket. “It's made out of a material that can change color based on a few substances it may come in contact with. That shade of green indicates a kind of mineral that accelerates plant growth.”  
“That's amazing! What else can it detect?”  
“Lots,” she grinned, accepting the towel Toini offered her.  
“Please enjoy our springs at your leisure, Lady Ekundayo,” she said with a short bow. “In the meanwhile, I will prepare a room for you. I hope to have returned before you finish.”  
Adebowale raised an eyebrow.  
Toini felt her cheeks flare up. “I, I mean, so I can wait outside the room and you won't have to wait, not so, you know, I-”  
“Thank you. But please just call me Adebowale. Or Ade.”  
“Yes, sorry,” she answered and hurriedly excused herself from the room.  
Merely a quarter of an hour later, Toini was surprised to find Ade waiting for her by the cave’s entrance, fully dried and dressed, save for her hair, which she was attacking with her towel.  
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Toini said, flustered.  
“Don’t worry about it. I’m a fast bather.”  
“Would you like me to give you a tour of the castle? I can show you to your room whenever you w-”  
“I’d love that!”  
“The… tour or the room?”  
Ade chuckled: “The tour, please.”  
Toini blushed. “Right, yes, the tour. Please, follow me,” she muttered, turning away.  
She diligently led her through the enormous stone halls, recounting the grand accomplishments of the Siljan lords and ladies and the proud efforts of their subjects, the same way they’d been narrated to her by her mother.  
Adebowale listened, silent, but Toini noticed that she did not pay much heed to the tapestries’ intricate details, preferring instead to stare blankly at them. She did not seem to possess much appreciation for art.  
“And if we move on to the next hall, we-”  
“Sorry, I-”  
“What? Oh, sorry. Yes?”  
“These paintings and statues are very beautiful, but I’d also like to see other rooms of the castle if that’s possible.”  
“Oh.”  
“I’d like to get a clearer idea of what’s where while I’m here, you know?”  
“Right! Yes, yes. Ok, hmm… I’ll show you where the dining hall is,” Toini decided, orienting herself.  
“Thank you. I’d love to continue the art tour later, though.”  
Toini smiled and made her way toward the dining hall.  
When they arrived at the enormous entrance, Toini heard a gasp from behind her. She turned to see Adebowale, stopped in her tracks, gaping at the passageway.  
“Do you not have halls this large in Torus?”  
“What? Oh.” She seemed to awaken from a trance. “No… no, we don’t have… anything quite like this.”  
Toini felt some pride in that: “Wait until you see the inside!”  
They entered the hall and Ade took a few steps forward, examining the room with her inscrutable gaze.  
Toini gave her a few seconds, then couldn’t resist anymore: “What do you think?”  
“So you eat here every day?”  
“Yup!”  
“And what do you eat?”  
“Whatever we want. The kitchens are at the end of the hall,” she answered, pointing.  
Adebowale bit her lip.  
“Is there a problem?”  
“No, no. I have a bit of a, shall we say, dietary restriction. I need to eat in a very… particular way while I'm out exploring.”  
“Oh. Why is that?”  
Ade smiled. “My health.”  
A few seconds passed while Toini awaited a clarification, then realized none would be offered.  
“Well,” Toini tried, “you can tell us what you can eat and we'll try to accommodate-”  
“No need,” Ade said, making her way back to the doorway, “I have more provisions than you'd think.”  
Toini followed her back into the hallway, intrigued.  
“So what else is there to see?” Ade asked.  
“Not too much, we live a fairly simple life. The bedrooms, the empty cellars and servants’ quarters, the unused armory, the archives Edvard basically lives in, the Vault of Ancients, the latrine, the-”  
“The what?”  
“The… latrine?”  
“No, before that. Vault of…?”  
“Right, sorry! The Vault of Ancients. It’s our graveyard, but it’s more symbolical than that. It’s where our ancestors reside. I can show you where it is, but the door is locked.”  
“Would you be so kind?”  
After a short walk, the two found themselves in front of the circular door. It was twice as tall as them, set into a wall devoid of ornaments. Its material was light gray, contrasting with the wall’s darker hue, and smooth to the touch. An opaque, red, gem-like oval was embedded in a metallic circle the size of her closed fist, which stuck out from the middle of the door.  
Ade stepped forwards and examined the door, running her palms over its surface. “Tell me more about the Vault,” she muttered.  
“It has been here since the beginning of Silja, and it will be here at its end,” Toini started, remembering the words of her ruler. “It is where our ancestors were laid to rest, and where we will one day follow. In a sense, it is both our past and our future. Only Lady Eerika can open-”  
“Clever.”  
“Sorry?”  
“Ah, I was just talking to myself. You were saying? Only Lady Eerika can open the door?”  
Toini hesitated. “Yes... only she knows how to open it.”  
“Do you have any idea how she might do that?”  
Toini frowned. “No. I’ve spent some time thinking about it, but I’m honestly at a loss. There doesn’t seem to be any keyhole or mechanism to open it. And that red thing doesn’t move or do anything at all. It’s a mystery.”  
Ade nodded, thoughtful.  
“To be completely honest with you…” Toini hesitated. Should she tell her that? It felt nice to be able to talk to someone about her thoughts, but perhaps she shouldn’t reveal too much. She didn’t think she was handing over any dangerous information, though.  
“Yeah?”  
“...Reko told me he thinks even Lady Eerika doesn’t know how to open the door. But I don’t know why he thinks that.”  
“Interesting.”  
Toini gazed at Ade, wishing she could read her thoughts. The explorer stared blankly at the door, then turned and walked away from it. “Well then. Shall we move on?”  
Toini guided her through the rest of the rooms, detailing their fascinating history and purpose, but though Ade was a careful listener, she didn’t seem too interested.  
“Say, Toini,” she said as they exited the armory, “why don't you tell me a little about yourself?”  
“I'm… not sure what there is to say, really.”  
“Well, like, what do you like doing? You have any hobbies?”  
“My time is spent looking after Lady Silja.”  
“So you just work all day and that's it?”  
“Well… there are times when I don't really have anything to do.”  
“Have you found anything to keep you busy?” Ade asked, staring intently at her as they walked through the hallway.  
“Well, I… I do think a lot.”  
“About what?”  
Toini looked up at a tapestry detailing Lady Zuzka Silja’s quest to regain her honor. The woman’s deeds were wonderfully illustrated, but what caught her attention the most where her surroundings; the jagged, black peak of Govvdo, the turquoise, beautiful northern sea, and the endless sky.  
“I think about our ancestors a lot,” she muttered, caressing the tapestry. “I think about how they might've lived. About how it might be to live outside.”  
“Do you remember anything about it?”  
Toini shook her head. “I've never been outside. The Siljans have been living in this fortress since before I was born.”  
“Oh. I'm… sorry.”  
“Sometimes I spend… hours looking at a tapestry. I try to immerse myself in it, to try and feel like I'm there too, basking in the sun and going on adventures with all my friends.”  
She gripped the parchment, trying not to get too carried away.  
Slowly, clenching her jaw and trying really hard not to show emotion, she turned to face Adebowale. “Is the world out there… really as beautiful as I imagine it?”  
She searched her eyes for an answer, those deep brown eyes that had done nothing but ask questions up until then. She didn't know what she saw in them. Pity? Disgust? Oh, why was she subjecting them to this? This embarrassing scene of a lowly servant with delusions of grandeur and-  
“No.”  
Toini blinked, refocusing. “No…?”  
“No. It's even better, I promise.” Ade said with a reassuring smile.  
Toini sniffled. “Oh. Oh, I see…” she said with a very faint attempt at a smile. “I'm sorry, I- I'm not sure what is wrong with me. Please don't be mad.”  
“Hey,” Ade said, gently putting a hand on her shoulder, “it's ok, there's no reason for me to be mad. You want to see the outside world, I get it.”  
Toini nodded, avoiding her gaze.  
Ade squeezed her shoulder. “One day, I'll show you around, how's that?”  
Toini looked up at her. “You’d do that? For someone like me?”  
Ade leaned closer to her, staring directly into her eyes. This time, Toini found herself unable to look away.  
“I would love to,” the explorer said.  
“I… would love that too,” she whispered.  
Her stomach growled assertively.  
Toini looked down, embarrassed. “Perhaps we should head back to the dining hall. It's almost time to eat again.”  
Ade stood back up straight. “You go on ahead, I'll grab some food from my hiding spot and join you.”  
Toini hesitated, then nodded: “As you wish, Lady- I mean... Ade.”  
Ade smiled sweetly. “I'll be there before you realize it.”  
The two parted ways, and Toini walked back to the dining hall alone.

  
///

  
“Ah, Toini,” Eerika acknowledged her as she neared the table she and the men were chatting, “We were about to send someone to retrieve the two of you. Where is our esteemed guest?”  
“My apologies, my Lady,” she muttered, sitting down next to her. “Ade- I mean, Lady Ekundayo is retrieving her own food. She said she's safeguarding her health.”  
Reko’s eyebrows shot up as if someone had just told him they'd compliment his performance if he did so quickly enough. “What? How dare she insinuate our food isn't good!” he yelped.  
“Coming from someone who outright complains about the quality of the food every day?” Toini softly reminded him.  
Reko gaped, causing her to look away in embarrassment.  
“I- how dare you?” he spat out. “You-”  
“Silence, both of you,” Eerika said. “We will speak to our guest about this.”  
Eerika, Alvar and Edvard resumed their chatter, talking about improvements that could be made to the castle. Reko and Toini sat in silence.  
“Sorry for the delay!” Adebowale called out as she entered the room, holding a large brown sack in her arms.  
“Please, think nothing of it. Come join us for our meal,” Eerika called with a large smile.  
Adebowale reached the table and stopped. “Sorry, where may I sit?”  
“Sit between us, milady!” Edvard said, patting the empty spot in between him and Alvar. “I have plenty of questions to ask you!”  
Once seated, Adebowale placed the bag on the table and revealed its contents: six loaves of what looked like reddish white bread.  
Reko chuckled: “What is this, a meal for ants?”  
Adebowale smiled kindly as she doled out the bread. “I think you will find it to be quite filling. You don’t have to eat it, of course.”  
“Hah! I sure won’t!” the jester said, turning to Toini. “Fetch me my usual steak, I’m getting hungry.”  
Toini stood and made a light bow. “What would everyone else like?”  
Everyone ordered something, except for Adebowale.  
“Lady Ekundayo,” Eerika said, pivoting back to her guest, “it would be most unkind of us as hosts to not provide you with a hearty meal. Are you sure you do not want to try anything? Our kitchens are very well stocked.”  
Adebowale flasher her smile again as she shook her head. “Thank you, Your Highness, but… without going into a lot of detail, I am required to eat my ration and nothing else if I want my body to function correctly.”  
Eerika stared at her for a moment. “Do you have enough rations for yourself even after sharing these with us?”  
“Absolutely.”  
“Very well then. I’m sorry you cannot partake in our delicious cuisine, but your sharing is much appreciated.”  
Reko didn't agree: “But my Lady, she can’t-”  
“Reko,” she interrupted. He looked away, silent.  
“We will, however,” she said, looking back at Adebowale, “switch rations with our esteemed guest.”  
Adebowale stared back.  
“As a precaution,” the ruler added with a smile.  
“Sure.”  
The two loaves were switched.  
“Lady Ekundayo,” Edvard said, shifting the conversation, “what can you tell me about this food? It seems soft, like bread, but at the same time it’s quite dense and heavy! What’s in it? How is it made? And do I just bite into it or do I slice it or-”  
“Edvard, slow down, old pal!” Alvar laughed, clapping Adebowale on the shoulder. “It is impolite to bother our guest before she’s even begun eating!”  
Just then, Toini returned with everyone’s food. As she served it, Adebowale grabbed her ration with both hands and ripped it in half, revealing a reddish-brown paste with specks of white residing within the loaf.  
“Lady Ekundayo, please!” Edvard chuckled. “I must know what this is!”  
“Try it, first,” she smiled, taking a bite out of her food. There was a lot of chewing as the Siljans assessed the rations’ flavor and texture.  
“Hmm, you know,” Edvard garbled, “I think I taste a hint of… potatoes?”  
“You are correct. The bread is fashioned out of multiple grains and potato flour. It's treated to keep its internal contents warm.”  
“Which are?”  
“The paste is made from tomatoes, meat, and cheese,” Adebowale explained through her mouthful.  
“Mmmh, it is quite tasty, yet filling. We approve,” Erika said, setting the ration back down.  
“I'm glad you enjoy it, Your Highness.”  
The rest of the meal went by without much communication, aside from Edvard’s many questions about food culture in Torus. The Siljans ate their full while Adebowale calmly finished her ration.  
“I'm glad you enjoyed it,” she said to the others, as they'd gobbled up the foreign dish as well as their own.  
“It was delicious! If those are your travel rations, I can only imagine your feasts! Hah hah hah!” Alvar bellowed.  
Adebowale bowed her head with a smile.  
“Perhaps one day we will have the pleasure of tasting more of your native cuisine,” Eerika said.  
“I hope so too.”  
She fixed her gaze into Adebowale’s eyes, as if her icy blue stare could reach beyond the traveler’s warm, brown irises and into the depths of the knowledge she so tried to conceal. Eerika was impatient by nature, but her years of experience told her that it would do no good to pressure her guest further. For now, at least.  
“We are feeling quite tired,” she proclaimed, sitting back. “Toini, would you clear our plates and show our guest to her chambers? It's about time we start heading to bed.”  
“Of course,” Toini said before gathering everyone's dishes. She returned from the kitchen at looked at Adebowale, who picked up her bag and stood up before bowing to Eerika. “Your Highness,” she muttered.  
Eerika acknowledged her with a slight tip of her head. “Have a pleasant sleep, Lady Ekundayo. I'm sure you need it, after traveling so much.”  
Adebowale glanced up at her.  
“Lady Ekundayo, if you'd please follow me…” Toini mumbled.  
“Right. Goodnight, Lady Silja. Pleasant dreams to you as well,” she said, turning away.  
Toini led her back through the halls, their footsteps echoing against the great stone walls.  
“I'm sorry about… that,” Toini started, “Lady Eerika is… uncertain about the whole situation. She doesn't want anything bad to happen under her responsibility.”  
Ade gave her a tight smile. “Don't worry, I understand being stressed.”  
“This is your room,” she said as they arrived at a small door. “It's been a while since we've had guests but it should be in perfect shape.” She opened the door and the two stepped into the room. A cot, an empty chest and a short, small table were the only pieces of furniture.  
“I'm sorry, it's nothing fancy…” Toini muttered as Ade looked around.  
“Eh, I've seen worse. Is your bedroom like this too?”  
“I've added a couple things over the years, but yes.”  
“Cool. Anyways, I'll probably go to bed soon so… hey, everything ok?” she asked, noticing that Toini winced.  
“Yes, I'm just dealing with a bit of a headache, sorry… I should probably head to bed too,” she said, moving back towards the door.  
“I see. Well… goodnight then, get some rest,” Ade said, following her to the exit.  
“Goodnight… see you tomorrow.”  
Toini left, the door shutting behind her as she scampered off towards her room.

  
///

  
“Toini. Hey, Toini!” a whisper pierced her ears as someone shook her awake.  
“Whu…? What?” she mumbled, blinking repeatedly.  
As she woke up, Toini realised her headache had gotten a lot more persistent.  
“Ugh… what do you want?” she said, trying to focus.  
“Come on, wake up!”  
Toini managed to open her eyes in full and get a good look at her visitor. Adebowale stared back at her, clearly impatient.  
Toini scooted away from her, now fully awake fully aware of the fact that she was only wearing a nightgown, while Ade was fully dressed. “Wha- why are you in here?” she yelped, turning slightly red.  
“Something weird is happening,” she muttered, stepping away. “Look around!”  
Toini obliged and felt a shiver run through her skin as she realized all her furniture and personal items had been replaced by wooden crates and rocks of various sizes.  
“Wh… what?” she managed to say.  
“I have no idea,” Adebowale whispered, as if afraid to disturb the inanimate objects. “The outside is even worse…”  
“Worse…?”  
“Get dressed. We gotta get to the bottom of this,” she said, turning away.  
Toini picked up the clothes she’d left at the foot of her bed and rapidly put them on.  
“Quick, come look at this!” Adebowale urged her, stepping out of the room.  
Toini followed her outside. Her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes frantically moved from one end of the corridor to the other one, trying to find a semblance of normality, but in vain. She took a step back as she stared at the walls, devoid of any and all tapestries and ornaments, replaced by a blue, moss-like substance.  
“What is happening…?” she gasped, tentatively bringing her palm up to her forehead.  
Adebowale was peering closer at the moss, which seemed to give off a faint glow.  
“I probably shouldn’t touch this stuff…” she said, stepping away from it. She turned back to Toini. “I have no idea what’s going on, but… I woke up because I heard a loud buzz coming from somewhere in the halls. I followed it and traced it back to the Vault. It stopped once I got there, but then this-” she gestured at the walls- “happened and even the stuff in my room turned into boxes and rocks.”  
“The Vault…?” Toini asked incredulously.  
“Yeah! Weird, didn’t you say it’s a graveyard?”  
“Well… as far as I know, yes.”  
Adebowale seemed suspicious. “Something strange is happening here. We need to get to the bottom of this.”  
Toini nodded. “We should go wake the others and see what we can do. Follow me, we can get to Lady Silja’s chambers if we go this w-”  
A loud, echoing buzz erupted into the hallway, cutting her off.  
“There it is again! Come on, this way!” Adebowale shouted, taking off toward the origin of the sound.  
“Wait up!” Toini yelled, but Adebowale kept running. Frustrated, scared, and with a killer headache, Toini ran after her.

  
///

  
She reached her right before the Vault, a few seconds after the buzzing stopped. Adebowale had stopped running and was staring at the circular door. Toini half-jogged, half-walked the rest of the way. She was fast, she had to admit, and didn’t seem tired at all.  
“Any idea what happened?” she panted as she glanced around.  
“Look,” Adebowale whispered, pointing at the door.  
The red, opaque gem was now a bright green.  
Toini felt her entire body shiver with anticipation, her eyes transfixed on the gem as if to burn it into her retinas. “Do you think…?”  
Adebowale cautiously walked over to the smooth surface and looked it over. Toini didn’t move, mesmerized by the stone. There was something… oddly familiar about that color.  
Adebowale looked back at her. “Should I try… pushing it?’  
Toini hesitated. “Um… sure.”  
She obliged. The gem didn’t budge. Nothing happened.  
“Huh,” the explorer concluded.  
Toini stepped closer and closer to the door, without taking her eyes off the gem.  
“You got any ideas?”  
Toini reached for the metallic circle around the gem. Her fingers closed around the cold, smooth surface, sending a shiver up her spine. She felt the veins in her hand beat in tandem with her pulsating headache.  
She took a deep breath. Adebowale stared, motionless. Toini wished she had a fraction of her self-control.  
Her hand trembled as it rotated the circlet ninety degrees to the right.  
There was a loud thunk as the handle retreated into the door. A sudden fissure split the door and gem in two.  
And, slowly, with a muffled sound of metal grating against metal, the two sides retreated into the doorframe, leaving the passage open.  
Through the dimly lit passageway, Toini could barely make out the Vault and its contents, but one thing was obvious: it was a huge room, about as big as the dining hall.  
“Shall we?” Adebowale asked.  
Toini realized she was holding her breath. She took a second to relax, realized it wasn’t working, and settled on ignoring her headache. “Let’s.”  
They stepped through together. The room was quite tall and bore a large hole in the ceiling from which a faint light shone through. The dark ground and walls were uneven, with rocky protrusions scattered about.  
In the middle of the cavern, an enormous, metallic, spider-like… structure rested on four appendages, which sprouted from its body at an upwards angle only to bend twenty or so feet above and come down to the ground. The body itself was somewhat spherical in nature, though it was certainly wider than its height. Precise, symmetrical patterns were carved throughout the entire black beast, visible even through the thick layer of dust that had covered the upper part of its core and legs.  
Toini took a small step forward, in awe. “What is…?”  
Pain exploded into her head, shutting down all her other senses. A terrified scream pierced through her mind as dizziness took over her.  
Amidst the vortex of pain, unfamiliar images flashed through her mind.  
Alvar, Edvard, and Eerika clad in simple clothing, sitting at a table, papers spread before them.  
Reko smiling back at her before sipping something from a cup in his hand.  
A white room, filled with sharp and unknown tools, fluctuating patterns, and a cot.  
A transparent cylinder closing around her.  
A black door that-  
Her eyes flew open. The pain subsided to a dull, throbbing headache. She felt the cold, smooth touch of the floor she lied on.  
Someone was shaking her and calling her name. “Ade…?”  
“Oh, thank goodness,” she sighed. “You passed out. Good thing you didn’t hit your head much harder than that. Here, lemme help you up,” she said, standing up.  
Toini took the hand Adebowale offered her and got back to her feet. She looked at her, then at the giant spider-thing.  
Adebowale smiled reassuringly. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions, so why don’t we-”  
“Get away from her!” someone growled.  
Reko stood at the Vault’s exit, sporting his familiar black clothing and a very unfamiliar expression of fear. His jaw was visibly clenched, his eyes pinned on the couple, and his hand clutched a metallic object shaped like a D, keeping the curved segment pointed towards them.  
“Did you hear me? Step away!” He yelled, moving towards them with a steady arm.  
Toini took a step back. “Reko…? What are you doing h-”  
Adebowale dashed behind her and clasped her shoulders.  
Toini stopped in her tracks and glanced up at Ade’s face.  
“Don’t move or we’re both dead,” Ade hissed, her eyes fixed on Reko.  
“Let her go or I fry your brain,” he ordered, still walking. Toini couldn’t help but notice a small hole in the middle of the gray object.  
“How are you here?” Adebowale asked. “You should be in a cell!”  
Reko smirked, getting ever closer. “It is you who shall be locked away for your actions against the Siljans.”  
Toini watched as Adebowale’s eyes and mouth widened in shock. “No fucking way…”  
“Oh, yes way,” he grinned, stopping a few feet from the two. He pointed the item straight at Adebowale’s face. “Last chance. You will not take her away.”  
“Please, stop!” Toini finally said, realizing things were going downhill. “Can someone please explain what’s going on?”  
Reko lifted his chin so he could look down at both of them. “What is there to explain? She’s kidnapped you and taken you to desecrate the Vault. Probably wants you to do the heavy lifting!”  
“No Reko, I… I went with her voluntarily.”  
“You what?”  
“There… there was a weird noise coming from here and when we got here the gem… you know the red gem? Well it was green so I tried to open the door and-”  
“Enough. She’s better at deceiving than I thought. Step away from her, Toini. I will take care of everything, the way I always do.”  
“You guys wanna know something great?” Adebowale grinned, staring at Reko.  
They looked at her, puzzled.  
“You look exactly like someone I know back home. A certain-”  
“Don’t you d-”  
“- Hemming Takanen.”  
A kaleidoscope of images and sounds burst violently into Toini’s mind. She fell again, her senses overwhelmed by the phantasms that coursed through her brain.  
All at once, they subsided.  
“Ugh, what the…” Toini mumbled, trying to get back up.  
“Sorry about that,” she heard Adebowale say. She glanced up. The woman was holding Reko’s semi-circular device and had it pointed right at its previous wielder.  
Reko had also ended up sprawled on the floor, clutching his face.  
“No… no, you won’t take her back!” he muttered, slowly standing back up.  
“It’s over. Leave,” she warned.  
Reko dropped his arms, revealing a frighteningly large grin and bloodshot eyes. “I will never leave her alone!” he shrieked. Toini screamed and stumbled backward and away from him.  
He leapt towards her, his gaze hungering after her.  
A blast of light exploded into his chest.  
With a piercing howl, Reko’s body shattered into a myriad of dazzling lights.  
Then he was no more.  
Toini felt a deep sense of dread clawing at the back of her mind. “Reko…?” she whispered.  
Adebowale stood frozen, arm still aimed at Reko’s vanished body. She was holding her breath. A soft yellow light slowly disappeared from the device’s surface, returning it to its gray state.  
“But… it’s supposed to stun…” she mumbled.  
“You killed him,” Toini said. She was unsure what to think of this, or of any of the events that had just occurred.  
Adebowale slowly lowered her arm. “I… suppose so?”  
“What just happened?”  
“I don’t exactly know for sure myself.”  
“You do know things I don’t, though.”  
“Yes. I will explain everything once we’re safe in the big fella over there,” she said, nodding at the hulking structure at the center of the room.  
Toini’s eyes followed her gesture to the building’s sleek, black surface. “And how do we do that?”  
“Say ‘Command: lower access ramp’.”  
She raised her eyebrows, then cleared her throat. “Right. Uh, command… lower access ramp.”  
A mechanical whirr echoed across the cave as part of the lower body of the spider slowly detached itself downward at an angle. When it touched the pavement and stopped, a string of tiny lights illuminated the sides of the ramp that led up into the dark core of the colossus.  
Toini took a hesitant step forward. “What about the others?” she asked as Adebowale strode towards the still ramp.  
She looked back. “Would you believe me if I told you they’re already on board?”  
“There are a lot of things you’re not telling me. I don’t know if I can believe you.”  
Adebowale walked up to her and handed her the device that had vaporized Reko. “This button is how you fire it,” she said, pointing at a small protrusion on the straight shaft, “feel free to have it aimed at me at all times.”  
Toini looked at the weapon, then at her enigmatic savior.  
“Keep it,” she finally said. “Just promise you’ll tell me everything once we’re in that thing. And that this isn’t a trap.”  
She slowly lowered her arm, then crossed her heart with her other hand. “I promise.”  
Toini inhaled deeply. “After you,” she breathed, gesturing at the ramp.  
Ade obliged with a smile.  
And Toini followed her into the depths of the machine.

///

_Status report: Perdido rescue mission_   
_Goal summary:_   
_Retrieval of the S.S. Ruuta and its crew;_   
_Analysis of Perdido’s soil, water, and underground conditions._   
_Context:_   
_On 04/04/0022 the S.S. Ruuta departed for Perdido, formerly known as AS-66X, to complete Operation Arborea. Its objective was to lay the groundwork for a large-scale hydroponics plant that would provide approximately 80% of the current Torusian vegetable and fruit consumption, in addition to 55% of our electricity needs. The project had been greenlit as soon as the colony received its standard-issue STL capacitor (01/03/0022), which was incorporated into the S.S. Ruuta._   
_On 16/04/0022, after its crewmates were put in stasis in order to survive STL travel, the S.S. Ruuta activated its capacitator. Four days later, the ship made contact with Perdido and began its excavation process to get to the water sources that had been identified by our scanners. A material much more compact and solid than the asteroid’s soil was encountered, triggering the supplemental generator to kick in. However, as was discovered subsequently, the generator had been sabotaged. A malfunction occurred as a result of Ruuta’s automated program forcing it to continue the excavation without the necessary power backup. Consequentially, as was later discovered, the ship’s main generator broke and failed to awaken its crewmembers from stasis._   
_On 22/04/0022, the day after news of the malfunction had made its way around Torus, Engineer-General H. Takanen confessed, of his own volition, to having sabotaged the emergency generator during the vessel’s final inspection before its departure. The culprit stated his motive was to sabotage the project in order to negatively affect botanist T. Lundgren’s (the proponent and main architect of the project) reputation and career, whom he resented for terminating their relationship._   
_A plea for help was made to the nearest colonies the same day, but none of them would have been able to get an STL-capable ship to Torus within a reasonable amount of time. Fortunately, Genus had recently finished testing a cutter-like STL vessel capable of transporting a single person and a limited amount of cargo. This vessel, the Apollo, was offered to Torus as a means of taking repair tools to the Ruuta. As an engineer, I was selected to conduct this mission on 30/04/0022, and on 08/06/0022, two days after the Apollo arrived in Torus, I departed._   
_Mission summary:_   
_After arriving on Perdido on 24/06/0022, I followed the downward tunnel excavated by the S.S. Ruuta, but was unable to track it down due to the presence of numerous natural galleries. I emerged into a particularly large one and, to my surprise, heard voices. I thought then that perhaps the reason the crew had not responded was not that they were still in stasis, but that their communication equipment had been damaged and they were in the process of repairing it. I approached the voices and encountered none other than botanist T. Lundgren. She was alone (I later discovered that the remaining three members of the crew had not been awakened from stasis, due to the malfunction) and unable to communicate effectively or even recall her full identity and mission. In fact, Doctor Lundgren appeared to be under the effect of some powerful drug and was lost in a world of her own, dialoguing with nonexistent people and even voicing and mimicking them. Shortly after, I discovered not only the source of her altered status but also the reason why the soil encountered by the S.S. Ruuta was tougher than anticipated. Not recognizing it as such, she showed me the chrysalis of an arborean caterpillar (common name for papilio arborensis maximus, also known as a “wyrm”), a species native to the planet Artemisia, which Perdido orbits (this, according to our astronomers and biologists, would confirm the hypothesis that Perdido was once part of Artemisia)._   
_Arborean caterpillars are baffling creatures with both animal and plant-like characteristics; these enormous entities spend most of their life tunneling underground, eating minerals in the soil as they do so. Their body is covered in a colorless secretion which sticks partially to the tunnels they create and attracts artemisian moss. Once large enough, the caterpillars go through a pupation process quite similar to their terrestrial relatives, but with a starkly different end result: instead of becoming butterflies, they use the chrysalis as a foundation for spreading roots towards the surface, eventually becoming a system of interlocked tree-like plants which extends for miles underground._   
_Of particular note to us is that while the body of these caterpillars is poisonous to their would-be natural predators, it is not toxic to humans, and in fact is a great source of nutrition, though it has been shown to provoke powerful hallucinations when ingested in large quantities. Dr. Lundgren confirmed that she’d been eating the substance, presumably after running out of rations (after all, the S.S. Ruuta had been given limited provisions due to the amount of room occupied by their other cargo and the fact that they would not need them after completing the first few phases of their hydroponics project)._   
_After being shown the automatic door Dr. Lundgren had deployed to cut herself off from the Ruuta, since running into it while under the effect of the hallucinatory substance caused her painful, fragmented recollections of reality, I managed to convince her to eat a few of my rations in addition to the chrysalis remains, in order to cut down on the drug intake. A while after she’d fallen asleep, I woke her up and noted that she could at least view her surroundings without being conditioned by the substance. With a pretext, I brought her to the automatic door in order to bring her aboard the Ruuta and submit her for the detoxification process necessary to fully cleanse her body of the hallucinatory substance. After she remembered how to unlock the door, we entered the room and she collapsed from the partial recollection shock she’s since detailed._   
_I do not wish to hide how much what followed next shocked me, though I will attempt to remain impartial in this report, as protocol dictates. After doctor Lundgren’s collapse, someone entered the cave, pointing a standard-issue stun gun at us. I believed this person to be E.-G. Takanen, because their mannerisms and physical appearance were exactly his. However, he responded to the name and personality of Reko, one of the four people conjured forth by Dr. Lundgren’s imagination during her months in isolation (the other three apparently being modeled after the three remaining crewmembers: food scientist Edoardo Farina, engineer Alvaro Castro, and medical practitioner Erika Burke). It is also to be noted that he seemed privy to some knowledge that Dr. Lundgren’s fictitious character should not have had access to. One might presume that my body had somehow intaken the same substance that caused Dr. Lundgren to hallucinate, perhaps through inhalation, and yet the fact that this supposed hallucination managed to bring with him a weapon is cause for concern. Moreover, even if we were to adduce the presence of a stun gun in my hands after I managed (fictitiously or not) to subdue and shoot Reko/Takanen, causing them to vanish, what cannot be explained with our current knowledge is the fact that Dr. Lundgren and I have the exact same recollection of events. If both of us were hallucinating, then... how is it possible for us to have seen the exact same events taking place?_   
_After Reko/Takanen vanished, I brought Dr. Lundgren on board and submitted us both to detoxification, as a precaution. As I had much less (if any) substance to clear out, while she was recovering I set to work fixing the generator in order to bring the other crewmembers out of stasis. Once they were revived and caught up on the events that had occurred, they took to assessing the status of the ship and its cargo. Meanwhile, I stayed with Dr. Lundgren and helped her piece her memory back together._   
_It was discovered that a majority of the cargo had suffered deterioration and/or was damaged during the malfunction. After communicating with Torus, it was decided that the S.S. Ruuta was to return to base for a cargo refill and in order to allow Dr. Lundgren to undergo thorough medical evaluation. The S.S. Ruuta and the Apollo departed from Perdido on 25/06/0022 and arrived on Torus on 07/07/0022._

_Signed,_   
_Adebowale Ekundayo, Engineer-General._   
_Torus Colony, Sector 5, 10/07/0022_

Adebowale leaned back in her chair. The report returned her gaze from behind the soft light of the computer screen. She went through it a final time, submitted it, and breathed a sigh of relief.  
The square room was large by Torusian standards, though her clutter-fiesta approach to interior design made it feel a bit smaller than most would have liked. A couch sat on the opposite end to where she sat, adjacent to four piles of books upon which a lamp had been strategically placed. A holoprojector cowered on the tea table in the middle of the room, surrounded by objects placed near it in a moment of uncertainty and never relocated. The kitchen area, to her left, should’ve been more aptly named the ‘microwave and boiler area’. Two bookshelves stood to her right, the books themselves being impossible to retrieve without knocking down whatever items Adebowale had placed in front of them; it was, after all, a handy spot to set down one’s keys, glasses, identification card, wristphone, tools, bracelets… and finally, on her right and left, respectively, were the door to the outside and the door to her tiny bedroom and bathroom. “Leave minimalism to the rich,” her great-grandma would sometimes say.  
A knock at the door interrupted her contemplation. She reviewed her attire: black shorts, dark green sweater, natural hair as always… looked pretty good. She stood up and strode over to open it. A familiar face waited just outside, smiling, framed by her curled, golden hair. She wore a simple white dress with red spiraling patterns at its bottom and at the tip of its sleeves.  
“Ah, Doctor Lundgren,” Adebowale said, stepping aside with a matching grin. “Come on in.”  
“Please, Lady Ekundayo,” Toini chimed as she entered the house, “we have no need for such formalities!”  
Adebowale gestured for her to sit on the couch, then she walked over to the boiler. “May I get you something to drink? Tea, water, coffee…” she opened the tiny fridge. “Ah, I even have some tigernut milk left over.”  
“Tigernut milk? I’ve never tried that, sounds interesting!”  
“Kunnu aya it is, then!” Adebowale said, taking out the pitcher and sauntering over to the cabinet. She took out two glasses and slowly filled them with the frothy, cream-colored drink.  
“Did you make this yourself?” Toini asked as her host brought her a glass and sat down next to her.  
“Yes. It was my great-grandma’s favorite drink. I used to make it a lot more when I was a child, but…” she sipped the milk, savoring the refreshing, slightly sour taste of the tigernuts, the light hint of hibiscus and pepper, and the sweet tang of the dates. She remembered her ‘great iya-nla’ as she called her (much to her mother’s frustration) telling her how to clean, wash, and soak the tigernuts before blending them.  
She set the glass on the tea table. “Those were other times, I suppose.”  
Toini took a small sip of her drink and her eyes lit up. “Wow, this is… this is delicious, Ade,” she remarked, licking the froth off her lips. “I would love to learn how to make it. Where do you even get the tigernuts, here?”  
Adebowale leaned her back against the couch’s corner. “There’s a guy with a food shop about twenty minutes away from here, near Adriana Square… he’s Igbo, so he calls them ‘aki hausa’, but they’re still… well, tigernuts.”  
“Oh, lucky,” Toini said, taking another sip, this one much more prolonged. “And what are they called in… Yoruba, right?”  
“Yes. ‘Ofio’. Though I’ve heard ‘imumu’, too.”  
“I see.”  
Another sip.  
“So,” Adebowale said, picking her glass back up and crossing her legs, “what brings you to my domain, madame? Have you gotten used to being back yet? You’ve gone to see your friends and such?”  
“I’ve been welcomed back quite nicely. My colleagues have started lamenting the fact that they’ll never get the kind of adventure I got-”  
Adebowale narrowly avoided snorting out her drink.  
“- and my friends in my… ‘writing group’, so to speak, have been very attentive and kind to me. Though I will admit, I’m sure some of them are trying to draw inspiration from my… experience,” she chuckled.  
“I didn’t realize you were part of a writing group. I suppose that makes sense,” Adebowale said with a smile.  
“What do you mean?”  
“Well… your imagination was quite active on Perdido. You made up a lot of stories regarding the supposed Silja ancestors, remember? You could talk about those tapestries for hours!”  
“Oh, yeah, I guess… wait.”  
“Hmm?”  
“Did I spend hours… showing moss to you?”  
Adebowale burst out laughing.  
“Oh,” Toini whispered, blushing. “I’m so sorry, that must’ve been… extremely boring.”  
“No, no, not at all,” her host grinned, wiping a tear from her eye. “It was fun to listen to your stories. Maybe a little bit awkward though, since I had no idea where to look!”  
Toini smiled back.  
Adebowale tilted her neck ever so slightly. Something about her attitude was a bit off. “Do you have any family here that was worried about you?”  
“No extended family, but my parents have been really happy to see me back. They’d been quite worried and they missed me, so… I’ve been spending the night at their house.”  
Adebowale finished her drink and set the glass down for good. “They must’ve been quite happy when you accepted their offer.”  
Toini’s grasp on her glass visibly tightened. “Well…”  
She raised an eyebrow.  
“I mean, yes, they were, absolutely! But… I asked them, not vice versa.”  
“Why?”  
“I…” she sighed. “Hemming and I… had been together for over six years. We bought the furniture for our house together, when we came to Torus a few years ago, both for my parents and his job. Everything about it reminds me of him. And… there are still some things that belonged to him, that he was supposed to go pick up, but…” she looked at Adebowale.  
“Tough to do so from behind bars,” she finished.  
“Yes.”  
Silence.  
“I went by my house to grab a few things before heading to my folks’,” Toini continued, “and it was terrible. Just terrible. I almost broke down right in the middle of my empty living room, like some kind of… of idiot, or something. I got out of there as fast as I could.”  
Adebowale placed her arm on her shoulder. “Hey. That’s a perfectly understandable reaction. You’ve been through a lot.”  
She put her own hand on top of hers. “Thank you. I’ll have to renovate if I don’t want to spend the rest of my life at my parents’.”  
“I would be happy to help you out with that.”  
“That would mean a lot to me. Thanks.”  
A few moments passed. Toini put her half-empty glass next to Adebowale’s as she retracted her arm.  
“I… went to see him before coming here,” she confessed.  
“Oh. How… was it?”  
“Perhaps I shouldn’t have gone. But… I really didn’t want my last memory of him to be… what happened on Perdido.”  
Reko’s bloodshot eyes and diabolic grin flashed in front of Adebowale’s eyes, his scream still fresh in her memory. “I… can’t say I don’t understand. But… last? Is his sentence-”  
“He’ll live.” She cleared her throat. “He’s been banned from Torus for life. He will be transferred and assigned to five years of rehabilitation and will be closely monitored once released.”  
“Where are they transferring him?”  
“Avius, per his request. That’s where his family is.”  
“Wow. That’s… really far.”  
“Yes. I doubt I’ll… ever see him again,” she mused, looking at the floor.  
“Can I ask you how today’s visit went?”  
“Well, he…” she sighed and shook her head. “I left him because he became controlling and manipulative over time. He did love me, I think. But… the imbalance of power was too great. I couldn’t take it anymore. Whenever he messed up he would apologize but immediately try to shift the blame to me. I did almost all the work in the house, despite us both being very busy with our contributions to the community. We always ended up doing what he wanted because he’d guilt-trip me otherwise. It didn’t use to be so bad… but some months ago I watched a few videos taken when we’d first gotten together and… it just made me realize I wasn’t happy with him anymore. So I tried to end things amicably. He argued a bit, but… I thought we parted ways without too much resentment, in the end. I didn’t know he would… you know.”  
“Sabotage your ship.”  
“Yeah.”  
“I’m really sorry. I know you would've wanted him to be better.”  
“Thank you. I really did. And… I do think that maybe he is genuinely sorry,” she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “He seemed very honest today. And he didn’t try to convince me to follow him or forgive him or anything… so maybe he did realize his mistake. But, anyways… it doesn’t matter anymore.”  
“He’s out of your life, one way or another.”  
Toini chuckled. “This is certainly more of an ‘or another’ case!”  
“I certainly hope this is not how your other relationships ended,” she smiled.  
“Oh, Hemming was my first serious commitment,” Toini said. She reached for her glass and downed it in one drink. “I mean, there was this one girl I kinda crushed on when I was a teen, but… she never really paid much attention to me.”  
“That’s just ‘cause she knew you were out of her league, Doctor!” Adebowale joked, picking up the two glasses and standing up.  
“Heh, that must’ve been it. What about you? You got any crazy ex-boyfriends you wanna talk about? You know, to get even.”  
“Well, you know,” Adebowale replied, heading towards the sink, “I’ve never really been super interested in…”  
“Romantic relationships?” Toini offered.  
“Men.” The glasses clunked against the sink. She filled them with water and washed her hands. “I could tell you how to make kunnu aya,” she said, turning around as she dried her hands with a cloth, “but then you might not visit anymore, Doctor. I know you’re after my secret recipe.”  
“Orrrr I could look it up,” Toini grinned.  
Adebowale smirked. “It wouldn’t be the same, and you know that.”  
“Who am I kidding, of course it wouldn’t! I need your expertise, Oh Great Nut Master.”  
“Call me that again and you can kiss the recipe goodbye,” she grinned.  
Toini theatrically waved her complaints away. “Eh, you’ll surrender it to me within a month, you can be sure of that.”  
Adebowale narrowed her eyes and lifted her chin in defiance. “I accept your challenge.”  
Toini stood and matched her pose, though her opponent was noticeably taller than her. They sized each other up in silence. Adebowale was the first to start laughing, but Toini immediately followed suit.  
“Ahh, oh man. You’re a fun one, Doctor.”  
“You’re not half-bad either, Miss Engineer-General,” she replied with a devious smile.  
A beeping noise redirected their attention.  
“Ah, that’s right,” Toini said, dismissing her wristphone’s alarm, “Director Gutiérrez asked me to stop by to discuss some potential changes in the Operation. I… should get going.”  
She nodded. “Understandable. The Director is not fond of waiting.”  
They went to the door. Adebowale opened it.  
“Hey, Ade. Thank you. For being here for me.”  
She smiled. “You owe me nothing. Except maybe a few visits now and then.”  
“I would be more than happy to do that,” she said, stepping out the door into the short corridor that led to the street.  
“Keep in touch, then,” Adebowale smiled. “I got your contact from the Director himself.”  
Toini grinned. “Same here.”  
“See you soon, then!”  
“You too!”  
Adebowale watched her walk towards the busy street.  
Toini stopped. “Oh! I almost forgot!” she said, strolling back.  
Adebowale glanced back at her room. “What did you-” A hand lightly clasped the side of her head and pulled it downwards. “Wh-”  
Standing on her toe tips, Toini stole a nimble, sweet kiss from her lips. “Thanks for the drink,” she chimed with a wink, then sprinted away.  
Before Adebowale could react, she disappeared in the bustling streetway.  
A few moments later, Adebowale shook herself, dashed back into her room and slammed the door shut with her back. She stayed there, leaning against the cold surface, her cheeks flushed.  
 _Damn_ , she finally thought. _I might actually lose the bet._

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this story some time ago, but held off posting it on AO3 both because it's not fanfic and because I'd originally planned to submit it to a few online magazines to see if anyone would publish it. Having failed to get a magazine to accept it (I tried a variety of different ones that had open submissions), I might as well post it here for anyone interested to read. I hope you enjoyed it.


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